exhilaration

noun

ig-ˌzi-lə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce exhilaration (audio)
Definition of exhilarationnext
1
as in thrill
a pleasurably intense stimulation of the feelings the lavish spectacle results in one exhilaration after another

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in ecstasy
a state of overwhelming usually pleasurable emotion the exhilaration of victory that spectators get to witness at the Olympic Games

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of exhilaration Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomáš Hertl roared in exhilaration. — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 2 June 2026 Only a few will experience the exhilaration of victory. — Peter Folan, Boston Herald, 23 May 2026 Nguyen tenderly captures the lightness, freedom and exhilaration of being in water and reigning over the waves, rules of gravity be damned. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 13 May 2026 Pumping iron, and apparently the exhilaration of combat, has got this 67-year-old plenty revved up. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 6 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for exhilaration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for exhilaration
  1. thrill
  2. ecstasy
  3. kick
  4. joy
  5. elation
  6. happiness
  7. euphoria
  8. heaven
Noun
  • Getting to actually live this dream for real is a one-of-one life experience, and the thrill of this type of adventure sets my heart on fire!
    — Terry Terrones, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Targeted at younger folks and beginners, all three promise proper dirt-bike thrills without the noise, fuel, or maintenance of an ICE motorcycle.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of thrill
Noun
  • The passage is eerily similar to Salinger’s own state of mind while in uniform, specifically on a day that should have evoked ecstasy.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Such is the ecstasy, the agony, of judgment, which was never for their benefit.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of ecstasy
Noun
  • Bruno Guimaraes is carrying a minor knock, and new defender Ezri Konsa was introduced before kick-off.
    — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Smack also went 3-for-3 on field goals in the Packers’ preseason opener at Pittsburgh, making kicks from 58, 38 and 37 yards.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of kick
Noun
  • For many, Menorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands, is synonymous with summer which makes Son Ermità like the thrill of the first dip in the sea in the morning or the joy of the last swim at dusk.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Offer one useful idea, keep the plan simple, and save space for joy too.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of joy
Noun
  • Fischer expressed pure elation while rounding the bases on the homer.
    — Chuck Murr, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • There’s the elation after finding a great idea, and then despair because no one’s going to talk to you, and then elation when people talk to you.
    — Longreads, Longreads, 23 July 2026
Definition of elation
Noun
  • Gunter, a 14-year client, expresses his happiness at seeing the store reopen after its move from Northlake Mall.
    — Savannah Sicurella, AJC.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But the happiness Derrick Moore brought to others persists inside that home.
    — Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of happiness
Noun
  • Money is inherently emotional, and many of the most consequential financial decisions occur during periods of uncertainty, fear or euphoria.
    — Alex Shahidi, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Like most psychedelics, psilocybin’s effects are the result of interactions with a specific type of serotonin receptor in the brain, which both triggers the characteristic hallucinations and euphoria and induces neural plasticity.
    — Mike McRae August 19, New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of euphoria
Noun
  • Sounds like heaven to me, but your security posture mileage may vary!
    — Davey Winder, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Its purpose is to take deep panoramic images of the sky, over and over again, every clear night across the next 10 years, making what amounts to a decade-spanning ultrahigh-definition timelapse movie of the entire heavens.
    — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 24 July 2026
Definition of heaven

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exhilarating
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Cite this Entry

“Exhilaration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/exhilaration. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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